Gabrielle was downgraded to a tropical depression Thursday morning and continues to weaken as it heads northwest, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
As of 2 p.m., Gabrielle had maximum sustained winds of 30 mph as it moved northwest at 9 mph. It was located about 55 miles south-southeast of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect.
Gabrielle, which became the seventh named storm of the season late Wednesday, is expected to turn toward the north-northwest Friday and decrease in speed. Some slight strengthening is possible over the next 48 hours.
The center of the storm should pass near or over the southwestern portion of Puerto Rico Thursday morning and across the Mona Passage later in the day. It should move east of the Turks and Caicos Islands on Friday.
Gabrielle is expected to bring rainfall between three and six inches over Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and eastern portions of the Dominican Republic with isolated amounts of up to 12 inches. The rains could cause dangerous flash floods and mud slides over mountainous terrain.
The storm will stay well east of the United States and poses no threat to South Florida.
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Photo Credit: National Hurricane Center